A Baker’s Dozen: New Irish Films to See in 2013

This year promises to be an exciting one for Irish film aficionados and those interested in Irish Culture. Here are 13 new films promised to be released this year. For anyone who loves Irish film be sure to be on the look out for these new titles!

What Richard Did – What Richard Did follows Richard Karlsen through the summer between the end of school and the beginning of college. Everything seems possible, until Richard does something that destroys it all and shatters the lives of the people closest to him. What Richard Did is a quietly devastating study of a boy confronting the gap between who he thought he was and who he proves to be. Released last fall of 2012 in theaters and availble here in the US on cable, but that’s close enough for this list!

The Sea– John Banville’s Man Booker prize winning book will be released this summer as a film. It stars Ciarin Hinds, and Sinead Cusak. It was adapted for film by John Banville and introduces Stephen Brown in his directorial debut. Filmed nearly exclusively in Wexford County Ireland.

Brooklyn– Colm Toibin’s best selling novel has been adapted for the big screen by Nick Hornsby. Brooklyn is about a young woman torn between a lover in Brooklyn and her family back in Ireland. The film is set in 1950’s and stars Mara Rooney. Filming to begin this spring.

Byzantium– AVampireStory, a young adult play written by Moira Buffini has just finished production. The film features Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton and is produced by Neil Jordan. Mr. Jordan also brought us Interview with a Vampire so he knows vampires! Due for release this summer.

Calvery – Director John Michael McDonagh’s follow up to the critically-acclaimed The Guardwhich also stars Brendan Gleeson in the lead role. In Calvery, Gleeson plays a slightly better-natured priest, whose life is threatened during confession one day, and the forces of darkness begin to close in around him. The film also features Gleeson’s son, Domhnall, Chris O’Dowd, Aiden Gillen and Pat Shortt.

Star of the Sea-Based on the international best-selling book by Joseph O’Connor, the Star of the Sea in the title refers to a famine ship on its way from Dublin to New York at the height of the Great Hunger. The novel has picked up many awards since its release in 2004 so there are high hopes for this film adaptation due out this year.

Men at Work– Narrated by actor Fionnula Flanagan, Men at Lunch or ‘Lón sa Spéir’ is an Irish-made documentary directed by Seán Ó Cualáin and produced by Éamonn Ó Cualáin. It explores the story behind the famous 1932 Manhattan photograph that depicts 11 construction workers eating their lunch while relaxing on the beam of a skyscraper on the 69th floor of the Rockefeller Building.

Sheriff Street – Jim Sheridan’s new working- class drama is set in Dublin’s Sheriff Street and will also star Saoirse Ronan. The film is so autobiographical, the main family featured in the film are “the Sheridans”. Sheridan’s focus is around this one working-class family living in early ’60s Dublin, before the visit of the Beatles or JFK. But that’s about all thats available about it! Filming started last year, so it’s still unclear as to whether it will make 2013 or not.

The Hardy Bucks Movie – A popular RTÉ and campy television show is heading to the big screen this year and sees the lads finally leave Castletown to head out on a wild road trip across Europe. An Irish version of “The Hangover”. Watch the trailer below The Hardy Bucks Movie May be a bit silly but it is available in 2013 so I’lll be checking it out.

Jimmy’s Hall – Director Ken Loach of The Wind that Shakes the Barley’sfame, is set to return to Ireland this summer to film a new feature film inspired by Jimmy Gralton. Loach tells the story of Leitrim man Jimmy Gralton. In 1921 Jimmy and his pals built a dancehall at a rural crossroads in Ireland, which turns out to be a big mistake… Perhaps we will see this one late in the year.

Citadel – Blurring the boundary between real-life experiences and a darker fictional world, CITADEL which stars Aneurin Barnard along with James Cosmo is an unsettling, original and powerful story – an agoraphobic father teams up with a renegade priest to save his daughter from the clutches of a gang of twisted feral children. The film will be released in Ireland and UK later this year.

Last Day on Mars– The sci-fi film has a star-studded cast, with Liev Schreiber, Romola Garai, Olivia Williams and Tom Cullen. The film centres on a group of astronaut explorers who succumb one by one to a mysterious and terrifying force while collecting specimens on Mars. Released in early 2013.

Life’s a Breeze -The comedy drama film follows the lives of a f amily as they search for a lost fortune, stars Fionnula Flanagan, Pat Shortt and new comer Kelly Thornton.

Well that is all I could find for you now. If I have missed any that you are looking forward to, Let me know!